Spiral stairway.



A. LECLAIR.

SPIRAL STAtRWAY.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 18, 1913. RENEWED MAR. 15.1917.

1,229,482.. Patented June 12, 1917.

. 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. 13 3 7 V i a R l I -A. LECLAIR.

SPIRAL STAIRWAY. APPLICATION FILED AUG. is. 19m. RENEWED MAR. 15.1911.

1 fi i figi? m Patented J fine 12, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- eh, I

ADRIEN LECLAIR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

SPIRAL STAIRWAY.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 12, 1917.

Application filed August 18, 1913, Serial No. 785,277. Renewed March 15, 1917. Serial No. 155,138.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ADRIEN LECLAIR, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spiral Stairways, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact specification.

This invention relates to improvements in spiral stairways in which the sleeve or the upright post or pipe support is cast integrally with the tread, and also with the riser when employed, the successive steps being bolted together and rarely if ever trussed at their outer or farther ends, and as a re sult of which a broken tread requires the removal with it of the sleeve and for which purpose every tread next above the one in jured must be unbolted and removed together with their sleeves before it is possible to renew the broken tread.

The prime object of my invention, broadly stated, is a spiral stairway,the construction of which provides for the removal of a broken tread without removing its sleeve and without the necessity for removing any other tread or even the sleeve of the broken tread, and which at the same time makes it practical and possible to likewise remove a broken sleeve without disturbing the sleeve or tread of any other step and to continue the use of the tread of the broken sleeve.

The object of my invention more specifically stated is. to provide a spiral stairway with means by which the treads thereof are detachable from their sleeves without removing the sleeve from its supporting post, or pipe, so that an imperfect or broken tread may be removed and a perfect one substituted therefor and in such a manner, that in its operative position, it is rigidly locked between the sleeve and upright post and at the same time so supported that the tightening of the tread between its sleeve and adjacent upright post is increased in proportion as the weight upon the tread is increased;

A further object of my invention is a spiral stairway having treads thereof formed from sheet metal provided with means for their interlocking with the sleeve and also for retaining a filling of cement, or other compound, forming substantially the entire foot wearing surface of the tread.

A still further object of my invention is a simple and efi'ective means by which the outer ends of the several steps of a spiral stairway may be cheaply, conveniently connected, suspended, and trussed from the bottom to the top of the stairway.

WVith these ends in view my invention finds embodiment in certain features of novelty in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts by which the said objects and certain other objects are attained, all as fully described in reference to the accompanying drawings and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is a detailed perspective view, partly in section, of a spiral stairway in. which my invention finds embodiment.

Fig. 2 is an illustration of one of the sleeves thereof.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of said sleeve.

Fig. at is a plan view of one of the treads of the stairway with the post and the sleeve next above shown in cross section.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of one of the treads.

Fig. 6 is a transverse section through one of the treads filled with a wearing surface composed of cement, or other suitable material, and,

Fig. 7 is a detailed perspective view of one of the treads.

Similar characters of reference illustrate the same parts in the several figures of the drawing.

The upright tube, or other axial support, or post, 8, of my spiral stairway is of the usual construction in material and is supported upon a base (not shown) heretofore commonly employed therewith.

Upon this post are a number of sleeves, 9, corresponding with the number of treads, each of which sleeves is provided at one end with a bead like flange 10, which in its operative position is at the lower end of its sleeve and is cut away as indicated at 11.

Sleeves 9 are preferably of malleable iron, but may be of cast iron, and have formed integral therewith a bracket like projection 12, provided at its upper end with a pin 13, adapted to project through the perforation 14, in a tread 15, whereby the bracket 12, forms a support for the tread, prevented from lateral movement thereon by the pin 13.

The tread l5, diverges from its center toward its outer end, as is usual in spiral Stairways, and is preferably composed of sheet metal bent to form so that it is provided at both of its longitudinal sides with flanges 16, extended inwardly and thence downwardly, as indicated at 17, to form a' receptacle for a filling of concrete 18, form ing substantially the entire foot wearing surface of the tread, the form of the inwardly pro ecting flanges 17, however, serving not only to anchor the cement, or other filling project beyond the ends of their flanges, as indicated at 20, and are provided with an upwardly bent tongue 21, which projection when the tread is in its operative position rests on andis supported by the end of, the sleeve for the bracket and held thereon by the end' of the sleeve next above and between which latter and the post the tongue then; projects and may be tightened by hanr me'r blows driving the upper sleeve down until it holds the projection 20 tight on its supporting bracket and closely wedges the tongue between the upp er sleeve and: the post,-tube, or pipe, '8, as 'may be.

While it would not be a'substantialdeparture from my invention to have the tongue 21 project downwardly between the post and the bracketed sleevesupporting the tread,it will'now be observed that the better practice is to project the tongue upwardly between'the post and the sleeve next above for the reason 'that therebyany forcetending to tilt the tread on the bracket is transmitted'in part to the adjacent sleeve and substantially divided between two sleeves and whereby provision is also made for tightening the tongue by blows upon the end of the adjacent sleeve instead of directly upon the tread, and possibly to the injury thereof, and furthermore if the uppermost sleeve is not tight down on the projection 20 of the tread, or the filling thereof, the'tilting of the tread will be prevented when, in substantial operation, less than the whole ofthe tongue projects between the uppermost sleeve andthe post.

The outer ends of thetreads 15 are provided with an upturned flange 22, having therein bolt holes 23to which flange is secured a sheet metal plate 24, extending spi-' rallyfrom the bottom to the top of the stairway by means of bolts 25, and'nuts 26, there being as many of these bolts and nuts as may be desirable, or necessary for readily securing the plate and steps together.

Plate 24, in function not only serves to connect the outer end of the steps but operates as a truss for every step in the flight,

" distributing as it does, the weight of each The bottoms of the treads 15 (see Fig. 7)

step and the weight of a person, or persons ascending or descending the steps, from the step occupied to every other step, and when supported endwise from the base support (not shown) the truss also becomes afdirect support for the entire flight of steps, owing to the rigidity of the connection of the truss with thesteps; and even. though it may be of somewhat thin metal, when of substantial width, as indicated in the draw.- mg.

-"lhetruss 24may be bent byhand and is shown in the. drawings. The treads 1-5, as

before suggested, are preferably bent from sheet. iron of a thickness suflicient to avoid the necessity for. bolting or brazing. theend flange to the sidewflanges, but it will be no substantial departure from my invention to form the step from. cast metal, nor to omit the. employment. ofcthertruss plate 24lp, which, however, is preferably used: because of the greater strength. and durability it givestothestairway as a. wholeand that it effectively I prevents the steps being-loosened, or flexed, by sudden violent jars, or heavy burdens imposed upon them.

Again by the employment of the truss plate, the whole. spiralrstairway' structure may be inevery part. ofi'minimum. lightness consistent. with desired rigidity, durability, and with a corresponding reduction in the cost of: its production.

In assemblinga spiralistaiiavay containing-my inventionin. its several details,-the central post, or. mastissupportedat its base in any. suitable or usual manner, followed by a passingover its upper. andifreeendithe first or bottom. sleeve 12, to a. position of rest uponv the floor, or. other. base support for a 'mast whereupon the tread 15 is pro jected'through the slet llv in flange. 10 of the sleeve until its flange, or tongue 21, is projected between the center wall of the sleeve and the outer face of the post, or mast, the difference in diameter of these two parts "being. such that; the wedging of: the tongue, 21 betweenithe post; andisleeve will tighten. the sleeve ontheopostiwiththe tread resting flat upon the. bracket: 12 andpin 13' projecting through the tread:

The tongue 21-= serving ,as. it does as aconnectlon rigidly tightening-the sleeve onithe post and against possible axial movement,

the result is that when all of the treads are seci'lred in their operative position there can be no movement of any of the sleeves on the post, and much less any tilting moveinent of the treads on their supports.

In this connection it should be observed that with every sleeve of the same length a uniform spacing of the steps is maintained and preserved and that the notches, if properly located in the sleeves, indicate and determine the spiral pitch of the treads which spiral pitch is maintained against accidental change following the wedging of the tread between the post and sleeves by means of the flange, or tongue 21.

Following, or preceding, as may be, the securing of the treads in their operative position, they are filled with a cement, or other suitable compound, 18, level with the horizontal portion of the inwardly projecting flange 17, the same being forced thereunder for anchoring purposes and therefore forming the foot wearing fireproof surface, or a step for the tread, but a filling of wood, or other non-fireproof material would not be a departure from my invention.

lVhen desired, as may be in some instances, the hand rail 28, supported by the newels 2T bolted to the truss plate 24, may be employed, to which end the truss plate affords a convenient means of support by means of which a maximum of rigidity may be given to the hand rail.

Among the advantages of a spiral stairway containing the invention above de scribed is that its several parts may be of inexpensive material, convenient of reduction to form, of minimum lightness consistent with the maximum degree of strength and rigidity required, that its several parts may be constructed in advance of its erection and therefore quickly assembled, with the employment of but ordinary mechanical skill.

So far as I am now aware, the spiral stairway of my invention is the first in which there is provided a tread and a detachable supporting sleeve therefor, or which provides for the employment of a cast iron sleeve supporting the tread, detachable therefrom and especially when said tread is formed from bent steel metal; or a separable tread provided with a tongue wedging the tread between the sleeve and the axial support for the spiral stairway or wherein a tread is employed separable from the sleeve having integrally formed there with a bracket projecting under and vertically supporting a substantial portion of the step projecting outwardly beyond the sleeve, and my invention therefore is not limited to the details of construction by which these new and important results are attained.

It is also new with my invention, as I am now aware, to connect the outer projecting ends of the steps of a spiral stairway by means of a sheet metal strip continuous as to all of the treads of a spiral stairway, which operates as a truss for the treads and may at the same time operate as a base sup port for the spiral stairway in its entirety.

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by said Letters Patent is:

1. A spiral stairway comprising in combination a post, or mast, a plurality of sleeves thereon, treads supported by said sleeves, and means whereby a portion of said treads are confined between the post and sleeve.

2. A spiral stairway comprising in combination an axial post, a plurality of sleeves, treads a portion of which is supported by said sleeves, and means whereby said treads are tightly wedged between the sleeve and post.

3. A spiral stairway'comprising in combination a post axial thereto, a plurality of sleeves, treads supported by said sleeves and provided with a tongue or bend projected and wedged between said sleeve and post.

4:. I A spiral stairway comprising in combination a post axial thereto, a sleeve thereon provided with a bracket integral therewith and a tread supported by the said bracket and provided with means confining the end of the tread between the sleeve and the post.

5. A spiral stairway comprising in combination a post axial thereto, a plurality of sleeves on said post, a slot at the lower end of each sleeve, a tread projecting through said slot and means whereby the end of the step may be wedged between the supporting sleeve and the post.

6. A spiral stairway comprising in combination a post axial thereto, a plurality of sleeves on said post provided at the lower end with a slot, a tread projected through said slot and supported on the end of the adj acent sleeve, means whereby the tread is held between the sleeve and post and means for preventing an axial movement of said tread.

7. A spiral stairway comprising in combination a post axial thereto, a plurality of sleeves thereon in engagement with each other, provided at their bottom end with flanges and a slot therethrough, a bracket projecting outwardly from and integral with the sleeve, a tread supported by the said bracket and sleeve end and confined between the inner surface of the sleeve and the outer surface of the post.

8. A spiral stairway comprising in combination a post axial thereto, a plurality of sleeves thereon in engagement with each other, each of which is provided with a bracket integral therewith, treads projecting between the opposing ends of the sleeves and detachably secured thereto and a truss plate secured toand connecting the outer ends of the several treads.

9. A spiral stairway comprising in combination a post aXial thereto, sleeves thereon, each of which is provided with a bracket at one end and at opposite end with a slot opposing the bracket of the adjacent sleeve mounted thereon, a sheet metal tread: supported by said bracket, projecting through said slot and provided with an upward bend. or tongue wedged between the sleeve and post.

10. A spiral stairway comprising in com,- bination a postaXial thereto, a plurality of sleeves in an engagement with each other, a

Copies of this patent may be obtained for bracket integral with and projecting from each sleeve, a slot at the bottom of said sleeve, a bent sheet metal step supported upon said bracket and provided with a tongue wedged between and tightened by the sleeve, post, and step, a plate bolted to and connecting the several steps.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and aflixed my seal this 14th day of August A. D, 1913.

ADRIEN LECLAI'R. [L. s]

Vitnesses JNo. G. ELLIOTT, S. M. ACHESON.

five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0. 

